Objective:To explore the correlation between anxiety, depression, and inflammatory markers in the body fluids of patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS), creating a preliminary assessment model based on clinical data.Methods:Forty-one BMS patients were recruited according to the predefined inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria from the Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between December 2021 and September 2023, along with 12 healthy controls. The pain intensity of the 41 patients was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Meanwhile, anxiety and depression were assessed using the Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and the Zung self-rating depression scale (SDS). The concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in saliva and serum were measured using the Luminex 200 TM system and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Spearman′s correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression, respectively. Results:The VAS score for the 41 BMS patients was (3.56±1.90), with 48.8% (20/41) and 41.5% (17/41) of patients experiencing mild and moderate pain, respectively. Only 7.3% (3/41) of patients had severe pain. Among the 41 BMS patients, 61.0% (25/41) exhibited anxiety and/or depression, in whom 39.0% (16/41) had both anxiety and depression, 9.8% (4/41) experienced anxiety without depression, and 12.2% (5/41) had depression without anxiety. The concentrations of IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum and saliva of BMS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (all P<0.05). In contrast, the BDNF concentration in serum was significantly lower in BMS patients than in healthy participants ( P<0.01), but was significantly higher in saliva ( P<0.001). Serum TNF-α was positively correlated with IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6 (β=0.803, β=0.812, β=0.592; all P<0.01), while saliva TNF-α was negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression (β=-0.325, β=-0.321; all P<0.05). SAS scores were linearly correlated with saliva TNF-α concentrations (SAS=51.374-1.154×saliva TNF-α); saliva TNF-α concentrations were linearly correlated with saliva IFN-γ and IL-1β (saliva TNF-α=2.408+0.281×saliva IFN-γ+0.002×saliva IL-1β). Conclusions:This study provides a preliminary exploration of a clinical assessment model for BMS based on inflammatory markers and psychological scores, offering an exploratory framework for further research and optimization of the model.

Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.

Radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) is a common oral complication in patients with tumors following head and neck radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Erosion and ulcers are the main features of OM that seriously affect the quality of life of patients and even the progress of tumor treatment. To date, differences in clinical prevention and treatment plans for OM have been noted among doctors of various specialties, which has increased the uncertainty of treatment effects. On the basis of current research evidence, this expert consensus outlines risk factors, clinical manifestations, clinical grading, ancillary examinations, diagnostic basis, prevention and treatment strategies and efficacy indicators for OM. In addition to strategies such as basic oral care, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, anti-infective agents, pro-healing agents, and photobiotherapy recommended in previous guidelines, we also emphasize the role of traditional Chinese medicine in OM prevention and treatment. This expert consensus aims to provide references and guidance for dental physicians and oncologists in formulating strategies for OM prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, standardizing clinical practice, reducing OM occurrence, promoting healing, and improving the quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Stomatitis/etiology*

The success of"New Medical Sciences"in higher education requires effective tools in evalua-ting students'performance in courses.Previously,we reported a teamwork(T),critique(C)and ap-preciation(A)(TCA)ideological and political model,a teaching model widely applied in Basic Medical courses.TCA is an abbreviation derived from Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Biochemistry as an analogy for nurturing the abilities of thinking and teamwork(T),critique(C)and appreciation(A),which hope-fully could provide students with moral norms for cognition,science and life.This paper further explores the tools to assess the educational outcomes of the TCA model,by which teachers can collect feedback and reflect on teaching quality and effectiveness.Addressing the challenges of individual differences in large classes,fragmented learning feedback,and the difficulty of measuring meta-cognition in educational evaluation,this study employs strategies of value-added assessment,matrix assessment and norm-transfer-able assessment to evaluate the TCA abilities from the aspects of thinking quality,thinking creativity,co-operation ability,iterative thinking,dialectical thinking and job responsibility.By modifying/using 18 e-valuation tools in Education and Psychology,we have established a rubric system composed of 30 primary indicators(with 11 newly designed,10 partly modified and 9 directly adopted),along with 49 secondary indicators and 98 tertiary indicators to enhance the feasibility of the evaluation process.This rubric sys-tem was applied to Biochemistry teaching among the five-year-program undergraduates at Air Force Medi-cal University.Specifically,thinking and teamwork are evaluated by creative works from"the magic bio-chemical-circle",while critiques are assessed in large classes under the guidance of basic and clinical teachers,coupled with appreciation measured by job responsibility in a task-driven virtual reality(VR)project.The results indicate that Biochemistry teaching not only accumulates knowledge in students,but also achieves the goals in nurturing values and cognition.The inclusion of creative performance evalua-tion,cooperative learning and clinical case studies,can enhance students'interpersonal skills,coopera-tion,quality of thinking,creative thinking,iterative thinking and dialectical thinking to varying degrees.TCA-based Biochemistry teaching has a long-lasting impact on character education,and is capable of in-ducing positive long-term changes in students'cognition and lifestyle.Taken together,with the help of this rubric system,teachers can promptly acknowledge the effectiveness of their teaching,thereby facilita-ting their teaching strategies.

Objective:To explore the correlation between anxiety, depression, and inflammatory markers in the body fluids of patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS), creating a preliminary assessment model based on clinical data.Methods:Forty-one BMS patients were recruited according to the predefined inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria from the Department of Oral Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between December 2021 and September 2023, along with 12 healthy controls. The pain intensity of the 41 patients was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Meanwhile, anxiety and depression were assessed using the Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and the Zung self-rating depression scale (SDS). The concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in saliva and serum were measured using the Luminex 200 TM system and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Spearman′s correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression, respectively. Results:The VAS score for the 41 BMS patients was (3.56±1.90), with 48.8% (20/41) and 41.5% (17/41) of patients experiencing mild and moderate pain, respectively. Only 7.3% (3/41) of patients had severe pain. Among the 41 BMS patients, 61.0% (25/41) exhibited anxiety and/or depression, in whom 39.0% (16/41) had both anxiety and depression, 9.8% (4/41) experienced anxiety without depression, and 12.2% (5/41) had depression without anxiety. The concentrations of IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum and saliva of BMS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (all P<0.05). In contrast, the BDNF concentration in serum was significantly lower in BMS patients than in healthy participants ( P<0.01), but was significantly higher in saliva ( P<0.001). Serum TNF-α was positively correlated with IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6 (β=0.803, β=0.812, β=0.592; all P<0.01), while saliva TNF-α was negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression (β=-0.325, β=-0.321; all P<0.05). SAS scores were linearly correlated with saliva TNF-α concentrations (SAS=51.374-1.154×saliva TNF-α); saliva TNF-α concentrations were linearly correlated with saliva IFN-γ and IL-1β (saliva TNF-α=2.408+0.281×saliva IFN-γ+0.002×saliva IL-1β). Conclusions:This study provides a preliminary exploration of a clinical assessment model for BMS based on inflammatory markers and psychological scores, offering an exploratory framework for further research and optimization of the model.

The success of"New Medical Sciences"in higher education requires effective tools in evalua-ting students'performance in courses.Previously,we reported a teamwork(T),critique(C)and ap-preciation(A)(TCA)ideological and political model,a teaching model widely applied in Basic Medical courses.TCA is an abbreviation derived from Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Biochemistry as an analogy for nurturing the abilities of thinking and teamwork(T),critique(C)and appreciation(A),which hope-fully could provide students with moral norms for cognition,science and life.This paper further explores the tools to assess the educational outcomes of the TCA model,by which teachers can collect feedback and reflect on teaching quality and effectiveness.Addressing the challenges of individual differences in large classes,fragmented learning feedback,and the difficulty of measuring meta-cognition in educational evaluation,this study employs strategies of value-added assessment,matrix assessment and norm-transfer-able assessment to evaluate the TCA abilities from the aspects of thinking quality,thinking creativity,co-operation ability,iterative thinking,dialectical thinking and job responsibility.By modifying/using 18 e-valuation tools in Education and Psychology,we have established a rubric system composed of 30 primary indicators(with 11 newly designed,10 partly modified and 9 directly adopted),along with 49 secondary indicators and 98 tertiary indicators to enhance the feasibility of the evaluation process.This rubric sys-tem was applied to Biochemistry teaching among the five-year-program undergraduates at Air Force Medi-cal University.Specifically,thinking and teamwork are evaluated by creative works from"the magic bio-chemical-circle",while critiques are assessed in large classes under the guidance of basic and clinical teachers,coupled with appreciation measured by job responsibility in a task-driven virtual reality(VR)project.The results indicate that Biochemistry teaching not only accumulates knowledge in students,but also achieves the goals in nurturing values and cognition.The inclusion of creative performance evalua-tion,cooperative learning and clinical case studies,can enhance students'interpersonal skills,coopera-tion,quality of thinking,creative thinking,iterative thinking and dialectical thinking to varying degrees.TCA-based Biochemistry teaching has a long-lasting impact on character education,and is capable of in-ducing positive long-term changes in students'cognition and lifestyle.Taken together,with the help of this rubric system,teachers can promptly acknowledge the effectiveness of their teaching,thereby facilita-ting their teaching strategies.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis in children, which is defined in TCM terms as a syndrome of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung.Methods:This was a block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial.From January 2022 to September 2023, 359 children aged 3 to 7 years old diagnosed as acute bronchitis (lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome) were enrolled from 21 participating hospitals and randomly assigned to the experimental group and placebo group in a 3︰1 ratio, and respectively treated with Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules and its matching placebo.Cough resolution/general resolution rate after 7 days of treatment was used as the primary efficacy outcome for both groups.Results:(1)On the seventh day of treatment, the rate of cough disappearance/basically disappearance in the experimental group and placebo group were 73.95% and 57.61% retrospectively, which had statistically significance ( P=0.001).(2)After 7 days of treatment, the median duration of cough disappearance/basic disappearance were 5 days and 6 days in the two groups , with a statistically significant difference ( P=0.006).The area under the curve of cough symptom severity time was 7.20 ± 3.79 in the experimental group and 8.20±4.42 in the placebo group.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.039).(3) After 7 days of treatment, the difference between TCM syndrome score and baseline was -16.0 (-20.0, -15.0) points in the experimental group and -15.0 (-18.0, -12.0) points in the placebo group, with significant difference between the two groups ( P=0.004).In the experimental group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 49.04%, 28.35%, 16.48% and 6.13% severally; and in the placebo group, the clinical control rate, the markedly effective rate, the effective rate and the ineffective rate were 38.04%, 26.09%, 29.35%, and 6.52% separately, which had statistically significant ( P=0.014).(4) There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events or adverse reactions during the trial between both groups.Moreover, while adverse reactions in the form of vomiting and diarrhea were occasionally reported, no serious drug-related adverse event or adverse reaction was reported.(5)The tested drug provided good treatment compliance, showing no statistically significant difference from the placebo in terms of compliance rate. Conclusions:Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that Xiao′er Huangjin Zhike Granules provides good safety, efficacy, and treatment compliance in the treatment of cough caused by acute bronchitis, and lung-obstructing phlegm-heat syndrome, in children.

Objective:To summarize the best evidence for the management of fatigue-related symptom clusters in HIV/AIDS patients.Methods:According to the "6S" model, clinical decisions, guidelines, expert consensus, systematic reviews, Meta-analysis, evidence summary, and randomized controlled trials on the management of fatigue-related symptom clusters of HIV/AIDS patients were searched from top to bottom in BMJ Best Practice, UpToDate, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Center Database, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, Medlive, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang data, China Biology Medicine disc and other databases and websites. The search period was from January 1, 2017, to July 30, 2023. Two researchers independently used corresponding quality evaluation tools to evaluate the methodological quality of the included literature. They extracted and summarized the best evidence for the management of fatigue-related symptom clusters in HIV/AIDS patients.Results:A total of 20 articles were included, including seven clinical decisions, three guidelines, two evidence summaries, one expert consensus, three systematic reviews, and four randomized controlled trials. Thirty-four pieces of evidence were summarized from four aspects: fatigue management, frailty management, sexual dysfunction management, and sleep disorder management.Conclusions:This study summarizes the best evidence for the management of fatigue-related symptom clusters in HIV/AIDS patients. Medical and nursing staff must select and apply the evidence in a targeted manner based on clinical situations.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of "Tianji" orthopedic robot-assisted percutaneous vertebro plasty(PVP) surgery in the treatment of upper thoracic osteoporotic fracture. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 32 patients with upper thoracic osteoporotic fracture who underwent PVP surgery in Shenzhen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2016 to June 2022. There were 8 males and 24 females, ranging in age from 58 to 90 years old, with a mean of (67.75±12.27) years old. Fifteen patients were treated with robot-assisted PVP surgery (robot group), including 3 males and 12 females, with an average age of (68.5±10.3) years. Fracture location:1 case of T₂ fracture, 1 case of T₃ fracture, 3 cases of T₄ fracture, 3 cases of T₅ fracture, and 7 cases of T₆ fracture. The follow-up period ranged from 1.0 to 3.0 months, with a mean of (1.6±0.7) months. Seventeen patients underwent routine PVP surgery (conventional group), including 5 males and 12 females, with an average age of (66.8±11.6) years old. Fracture location:1 case of T₁ fracture, 5 cases of T₄ fracture, 2 cases of T₅ fracture and 9 cases of T₆ fracture. The follow-up period ranged from 0.5 to 4.0 months, with a mean of (1.5±0.6) months. Preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) scores were compared between the two groups, and the number of punctures, perspective times, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, bone cement distribution, bone cement leakage, and intraoperative radiation dose were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Number of punctures times, perspective times, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, bone cement distribution, bone cement leakage and intraoperative radiation dose in the robot group were all significantly better than those in the conventional group(P<0.05). VAS of 2.03±0.05 and ODI of (22.16±4.03) % in the robot group were significantly better than those of the robot group before surgery, which were (8.67±0.25) score and (79.40±7.72)%(t=100.869, P<0.001;t=25.456, P<0.001). VAS of 2.17±0.13 and ODI of (23.88±6.15)% in the conventional group were significantly better than those before surgery, which were (8.73±0.18) score and (80.01±7.59)%(t=121.816, P<0.001;t=23.691, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in VAS and ODI between the two groups after operation (t=-3.917, P=0.476;t=-0.922, P=0.364). CONCLUSION Robot-assisted PVP in the treatment of upper thoracic osteoporotic fractures can further improve surgical safety, reduce bone cement leakage, and achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery* ; Robotics ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Bone Cements ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery*

Objective: To evaluate the safety of simultaneous administration of quadrivalent influenza split virion vaccine and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in adults aged 60 years and older. Methods: From November 2021 to May 2022, eligible participants aged 60 years and older were recruited in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, and a total of 2 461 participants were ultimately enrolled in this study. Each participant simultaneously received one dose of quadrivalent influenza split virion vaccine and one dose of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine. The safety was observed within 28 days after vaccination. Safety information was collected through voluntary reporting and regular follow-ups. Results: All 2 461 participants completed the simultaneous administration of both vaccines and the safety follow-ups for 28 days after vaccination. The mean age of the participants was (70.66±6.18) years, with 54.61% (1 344) being male, and all participants were Han Chinese residents. About 22.51% (554) of the participants had underlying medical conditions. The overall incidence of adverse reactions within 0-28 days after simultaneous vaccination was 2.07% (51/2 461), mainly consisting of Grade 1 adverse reactions [1.83% (45/2 461)], with no reports of Grade 4 or higher adverse reactions or vaccine-related serious adverse events. The incidence of local adverse reactions was 0.98% (24/2 461), primarily presenting as pain at the injection site [0.93% (23/2 461)]. The incidence of systemic adverse reactions was 1.42% (35/2 461), with fever [0.85% (21/2 461)] being the main symptom. In the group with underlying medical conditions and the healthy group, their overall incidence of adverse reactions was 2.53% (14/554) and 1.94% (37/1 907), respectively. The incidence of local adverse reactions in the two groups was 1.62% (9/554) and 0.79% (15/1 907), respectively, and the incidence of systemic adverse reactions was 1.44% (8/554) and 1.42% (27/1 907), respectively, with no statistically significant differences between them (all P>0.05). Conclusion: It is safe for adults aged 60 years and older to receive quadrivalent influenza split virion vaccine and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at the same time.